About our Daughter

I am mother to four wonderful daughters, ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, and wife to the greatest husband on earth. God has given us a special child to raise one who was diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder at the age of seven, though she showed signs of it from the age of fifteen months. She also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder (sensory seeking), Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder-NOS, all typical comorbidities for a bipolar child. In spite of the trials, she enjoys lacrosse, running (finished her first marathon in October of 2014!), and reading and writing her own books. I will share with you the many joys and sorrows we have faced and will face in the future with the hope that you may find better understanding about this mental illness caused by both chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain. I desire that you will be encouraged by this blog if you are also dealing with a bipolar child. Thank you for reading and sharing in our journey.

How Did You Know She Was Bipolar So Young?

I wrote a long explanation of how we came to this bipolar diagnosis in a child so young under my post of March 19th of 2009. If your child or a child you know bears similarities, please seek out a good psychiatrist and don't wait for "things to get better." Often they will simply get worse, and the longer a child is unmedicated, the more damage their brain can accrue. Early diagnoses and treatment are key to providing these children with a chance at a successful life later as a teen and an adult.
Never change, start or stop a medication without the approval of your child's physician!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Steroids, Antibiotics and Bipolar Disorder

I just wanted to post a quick note that we have seen Caroline react to both steroids and antibiotics in a negative way, usually with mania.  This phenomenon has been noted by other parents of bipolar kids on the Balanced Mind chat room.   Obviously if a kid needs steroids or antibiotics, they need them and you just have to watch them carefully or add more of the mood stabilizers to the mix, per your doc of course.  With all the illnesses going around, this is probably an issue for many out there.

10 comments:

Cameron VSJ said...

Hi there, I was reading up on the journey regarding your daughter and had a quick question. I was hoping that you could email me back when you have a moment. I really appreciate it, thanks!

Cameron

Giulia said...

Since you are talking about meds and its effects on moods, I am adding my 0.02$.

FWIW, as a person with ADHD by brain damage, bc pill, even the mini-pill, can mess up moods.
Under mini-pill and progestative pill, I was bouncing the walls and not sleeping at night.
I also have hearing loss, so oestroprogestative pill is a no no.

The WHO (World Health Organization) is clear that even young girls without children can wear a copper IUD.
The risk of infection does not come from the IUD itself, but from other risks factors (ex multiple partners).
It was my personal choice, as I cannot tolerate hormonal birth control at all (and my OB/gyn did not try to push me for hormonal stuff).

Of course, what works for me may not work for someone else.
The only good birth control method is what works for the person.

Disclaimer : This comment is not intended to substitute medical advice from a physician

katie said...

im SO thankful to hear that things have been going ok! :) what a blessing! thanks for your updates - will keep praying for you and your family. i think caroline would be great in physical therapy!

i always wondered about the steroid thing - ellie had to have steroids due to bronchitis 4 years ago and i was stunned at her behavior afterwards... i knew they could make you hyped up but this was beyond hyped up. glad to know! :)

maggie.danhakl@healthline.com said...

Hi,

Healthline just launched a video campaign for bipolar disorder called "You've Got This" where bipolar patients can record a short video to give hope and inspiration to those recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

You can visit the homepage and check out videos from the campaign here: http://www.healthline.com/health/bipolar-disorder/youve-got-this

We will be donating $10 for every submitted campaign to To Write Love On Her Arms, so the more exposure the campaign gets the more the videos we'll receive and the more Healthline can donate to research, support, and treatment programs for mental health disorders.

We would appreciate if you could help spread the word about this by sharing the You've Got This with friends and followers or include the campaign as a resource on your page: http://stackjourney.blogspot.com/p/useful-websites.html

Please let me know if this is possible and if you have any questions. And, if you know anyone that would be interested in submitting a video, please encourage them to do so.

Best,
Maggie Danhakl • Assistant Marketing Manager
p: 415-281-3124 f: 415-281-3199

Healthline • The Power of Intelligent Health
660 Third Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 www.healthline.com | @Healthline | @HealthlineCorp

About Us: corp.healthline.com

katie said...

hey megan - i've been wondering how you and caroline were doing lately. hope all is well at your home! :)

Unknown said...

I am researching as I think my 4 year old may have this disorder. I would like to pick your brain. My email is MrandMrsReject2009@Yahoo.com. Please email me if you can help in anyway.

Unknown said...

I am interested in picking your brain. I think my daughter may have this disorder.

TamaraB said...

Just found you..OMG....I needed this..16 year old daughter 2 yr roller coaster ride of medications. Out patient and in patient treatment. Thinking of taking her to Meridell.. Trying to get my husband on board. She has scarred arms from cutting, has stopped, but is always a lingering threat. Everything I have read so far sounds so familiar. Would love your thoughts on Meridell . We live in Houston. Thankyou so much for your blog.

Megan said...

Hey all! My email is meganbstack@yahoo.com. if you want to contact me personally about Meridell, please do! I would love to give you whatever info I can.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to have found your site. My son has a mood disorder, probably bi-polar. I was just reading your comment on steroids. He is on them right now for his sinuses and is a wreck. I have looked into Merdill, but I don't think we are there yet. How did you know it was time?